Black Wings: New Tales of Lovecraftian Horror - S.T. Joshi (Editor)

"From BooklistIn introducing this exceptional set of original horror tales, editor Joshi places a little extra emphasis on the term Lovecraftian to describe its contents. Instead of simply mimicking Lovecraft’s distinctive gothic style or spinning stock variations on his famous Cthulhu Mythos, the contributors use Lovecraft as their inspiration for a breathtaking range of colorful new ideas and literary styles. Laird Barron and Philip Haldeman abandon Lovecraft’s New England to put their Lovecraftian monsters in the Pacific Northwest, while William Browning Spencer and Donald R. Burleson place theirs in the Southwest.

A hard-boiled crime story is followed by stories of psychological terror and some in which Lovecraft himself is a character. Standouts include Caitlin R. Kiernan’s "Pickman’s Other Model," wherein sketches by Lovecraft’s eccentric painter are discovered depicting a disgraced actress’ true, bestial nature; and Stanley C. Sargent’s "Black Brat of Dunwich," which cleverly deconstructs Lovecraft’s classic "The Dunwich Horror," about a half-human creature lurking in rural New England. The high level of craftsmanship throughout will delight even horror fans completely unfamiliar with Lovecraft. --Carl Hays"